Dominica to ban plastic straws by January 2019

Saturday, August 11, 2018

Dominica has announced an aggressive ban on many single-use plastic and styrofoam products in an effort to preserve its natural landscapes.

Roosevelt Skerrit, the prime minister of the Caribbean nation, addressed Dominica’s ongoing restoration efforts after Hurricane Maria devastated the region last year, saying the ban would provide aid to those efforts.

Mr Skerrit continued that they must rebuild and reset the society and economy and protect our environment in order to achieve a new, more resilient Dominica.

Dominica joined a long list of nations and major corporations phasing out the use of plastic straws, from New Zealand and Australia, to Starbucks and Disney. The ban becomes effective January 2019.

Dominica has taken theirs step further, also banning plastic forks, plates and knives, along with Styrofoam containers and cups. A full list of all the products included in the ban will be announced at a later date.

The cities like Seattle have practised a soft approach towards implementing their bans on plastic straws, telling they are “continuing outreach and assistance to businesses to help them come into compliance, rather than enforcement”. Meanwhile, other places enacting bans on single-use plastic have drastic punishments in place for those who flout the law.

Kenya enforces the world’s most severe ban on plastic bags, with those found in violation of the ban facing up to four years in jail or a fine up to $38,000. France was the first nation to announce a full ban on plastic food products in 2016, following on its ban on plastic bags a year earlier. There are major cities in the US still considering single-use plastic bans, including New York and San Francisco.

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